Hanger cover



Jan. 16,1968 l HAWKINS 3,363,812

HANGER COVER Filed Dec. 7, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR: 4 14 36 RAY HAWKINS Fig. 7

BY 066mm ATTORNEY Jan. 16 1968 I i HAwK|N$ 3,363,812

' HANGER COVER Filed Dec. 7,- 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [N YEN TOR RAY HAWKINS 11 .11 I By ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,363,812 HANGER COVER Ray Hawkins, Indianapolis, Ind, assignor to Lanilaw Corporation, Peoria, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 416,508 4 Claims. (Cl. 223-98) This invention relates to a so-called cover for garment hangers of a common or conventional type formed from twisted wire into a single plane. Such wire hangers are quite economical in construction, and are conveniently stored and used; but the thinness of the wire used in hangers of that type provides such a thin-edge garmentsupport that undesired wrinkles or creases are caused when a garment is hung upon such a hanger.

Several types of covers for such hangers have been proposed and used, the covers being formed of cardboard or plastic sheeting; and, although they commonly bear the name cover, and indeed they do cover the garmentsupporting portions of the hanger, their purpose is mainly to provide a lateral supporting extent, that is, a support from outside the plane of the hanger itself, to support a garment in a relatively larger area to avoid the crease or wrinkle likely from the thin supporting edge provided by the hanger wire.

Concepts of the present invention, accordingly, provide a novel and advantageous hanger cover which has cooperating integral means which economically provide advantages over other hanger covers. These advantages include the maintaining of the cover in a laterally-centered condition, more definitely assuring that the cover will perform its desired garment-supporting elfect; and a hanger-gripping effect to keep the cover centered on the hanger, even though, for convenient assembly of the cover on the hanger, the cover has a slit large enough to receive the hanger book, a slit substantially longer than the diameter of the hanger wire which extends through it.

The advantages are achieved by novel scoring of the cover blank, and by novel formation of the hook-receiving slit whereby blank stock of the cover back-panel is added to the front-panel to thereby achieve a gripping effect on the hanger wire.

These and other details and advantages of the concepts of the present invention will appear from the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying somewhat diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank which is foldable into a garment hanger cover, according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view, in reduced scale, of a garment hanger of a type with which the cover is desirably used;

FIG. 3 is a vertical, central cross-sectional view, ap proximately full size, of the cover when assembled onto a garment hanger, the view being taken in the direction indicated by section-line 33 of FIG. 2 and by sectionline 3-3 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a fragmental top view, of the cover assembled onto a garment hanger, approximately full size, taken generally along view line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmental vertical central cross-sectional V View of the cover, similar to FIG. 3, but prior to the assembly of the cover onto a garment hanger, this view being as indicated by View line 5-5 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 6 is a fragmental top view of the cover, taken generally along view line 66 of FIG. 5, this view being similar to FIG. 4, but prior to the assembly of the cover onto a garment hanger;

FIG. 7 is an end view, approximatelytull size, of the cover assembled onto a garment hanger, the view being taken in the direction indicated by view-line 77 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a portion of the cover blank, in enlarged scale;

FIG. 9 is a fragmental elevational view, approximately full size, of the front of the cover, the cover being folded into hanger-cover form, but prior to the assembly of the cover onto a garment hanger;

FIG. 10 is a fragmental elevational view, similar to FIG. 9, but of the rear of the cover, illustrating the interfitting means of back-panel sections; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmental view illustrating a stacked arrangement of several blanks in a step of folding blanks into cover-forming condition.

The present invention is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 264,352, filed Mar. 11, 1963, now Patent No. 3,202,330.

As shown in the drawings, a garment-hanger cover 12 is provided from a blank 13 of foldable sheet material such as cardboard or sheet plastic material, the cover being used on garment hanger 14 such as of wire type, illustrated in FIG. 2, which is made of a single length of wire one end of which is twisted around a portion of the other wire, as at 15.

The blank 13 is cut and scored to provide angularlyrelated arms, the cover 12 having a front panel 16 and generally symmetric back panels 18 and 20, the front and back panels being separated by longitudinally-extending scoring lines, indicated generally by reference numeral 22, and described more fully hereinafter.

An interlock-ing tab means, such as a tab 24 and a mating slot 26 carried by the adjacent ends of back panels 18 and 20 respectively, provide means for maintaining a longitudinally-fixed relation of back-panels 18 and 20, thus holding a folded condition of the blank 13, when it is folded along the scoring 22 to provide the cover 12.

When folded, and assembled onto a garment hanger 14, the cover .12 provides arms which respectively overlie the diagonally-extending stretches '28 of the associated hanger 14, the folding being such as to hold central portions of the cover panels in a relatively sharp angle, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5; but the end portions of the cover panels are only slightly bent, as illustrated in FIG. 7, providing the desired wide lateral garment support, this spread con dition of the arms being maintained by the nature of the scoring, as is yet to be more fully described.

Advantageously, in bending blanks 12 into their cover forming condition, a plurality of blanks 12 are stacked as at 29 (FIG. 11) and bent simultaneously; the thickness of the plurality of blanks strengthens the assembly to avoid buckling the relatively thin sheets while permit ting the desired bending along the score lines, and, addi tionally, provides economy by cutting assembly time.

t The adjacent ends of back panels 18 and 20 are separated from the front panel 16 by slits '30 and 32, the outer ends of which extend from the ends of the scoring lines 22; and the slits 30 and 32 extend rearwardly of the general axes of the scoring lines 22, defining a tab 33 which extends, as an integral portion of the front panel 16, across the general axes of the scoring lines 22. This, together with scoring concepts yet to be described, provides a tight or clamping effect, when the tab 24 is interlocked with slot 26 and the cover 13 is assembled onto a hanger 14, the rear portions 18 and 20 engaging the hookcarrying upright stretch 34 of hanger 14 at the lower position than the position where the front cover-panel 16 engages that hanger-stretch 34.

This clamping is further illustrated by a comparison of FIGS. 6 and 4, and of FIGS 5 and 3, respectively, it be ing noted that with the interlocked tab 24 and slot 26 preventing a longitudinal yielding of the back panels 13 and 20, to insert the hanger wire through the hook-receiving slit (generally along the reference line 35 of FIG. 5), the back-panels 18 and must be forced or sprung r'earwardly from their (FIGS. 5 and 6) position underlying the top portion of front-panel 16, to the spread (FIGS. 3 and 4) position in which resilient deformation of the cover panels exerts a tight clamping effect upon the hanger wire.

Assisting this relative movement of the cover panels, the partitions 36 of the back panels which engage the front panel .16 are of narrow width, permitting them to be slightly bent (FIG. 5), by the clamping pressure.

A recess notch 37 cut into the upper central portion of the tab 33 of the front cover-panel 16, at the adjacent ends of slits and 32, provides a longitudinally-ccnter ing effect, by providing that recess-edges 38 engage the hook-carrying hanger-stretch 34 of the hanger 14 when the cover 12 is assembled onto the hanger, maintaining a centered position of cover 12 longitudinally of the hanger 14. Longitudinal centering is also provided by the corners or tip portions 36 of the back panels; for not only are they located adjacent the notch 37, but the resilient deformation effected by the presence of the hanger-stretch 34 causes those portions to closely embrace the hanger, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

Other concepts of the invention relate to advantageous details of the scoring 22, providing lateral centering of the cover 13 on the hanger 14, as will now be described.

The scoring lines 22 extend longitudinally along the cover arms from each of the slits 30 and 32 by a pair of score lines which, from a joined or common end 40, first diverge in an inwardly-concave portion 42, then converge in an inwardly concave manner (43) then an outwardly concave manner as at 44, until, at location 45 about onehalf the length of the cover arms, the score lines are spaced an amount only about that of the thickness of the diagonal hanger portion 28. Longitudinally outwardly of location 45, the score lines diverge in outwardly concave portions 48, continuing to the extreme terminus 49 of the cover arms.

The nature of the scoring 22 assists in the clamping effect, and also tends to prevent end portions of the cover arms from being bent too sharply to give the desired lateral support for clothing, even when supporting the weight of the clothing. The abruptness of divergence of scoring 42 provides, relatively close to the end of the slit 30 or 32, a stilt transversely-extending area of greater width than the end of the said slit, thus assisting in causing the wire-engaging portions of the panels to be disposed in a tight relationship in the region of the wire 34.

From the extreme terminus 49 of the cover arms, a second score line 50 is provided, running genera-11y parallel to each score-portion 48, until a location 51 at which the score lines 50 are spaced an amount only about that of the thickness of the diagonal hanger portions 28, at which location the score lines 50 curve outwardly as at 52 and join the score portions 48.

The centering, by portions of score lines 50 and 22, is illustratively shown in FIG. 7. The centering is achieved by the walls, of score lines 22 (at area 45) and 50, which are economically formed in the scoring process, as is illustrated in FIG. 7; and even though the walls are relatively shallow, they are sufficient to achieve the centering effect in that they provide abutments which engage the hanger wire, particularly when the weight of a garment causes the relatively flexible panels to be pushed downwardly (that is, panel 16 to be pushed clockwise in FIG. 7, and panel 18 to be pushed counter-clockwise in FIG. 7).

The overall centering effect, provided by the combination of the clamping effect upon the hook-carrying upright stretch 34 of the hanger 14, together with the camming effect of the scoring lines 22 and 50 which guide the cover 12 to a laterally-centered position along the diagonal hanger-portions 28, centering being guided by the closely-spaced scoring at 45 and 51, all provide that the Weight of clothes hung over the cover 12 assists in centering the cover 12 laterally of the hanger 14.

Accordingly, the desired lateral support-service of the cover 12 is more assured, and maintained for a relatively long period of service.

Accordingly, it will thus be seen from the foregoing description of the invention according to this illustrative embodiment, considered with the accompanying drawings, that the present invention provides a new and useful hanger cover, having desired advantages and characteristics, and accomplishing its intended objects, including those hereinbefore pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention; accordingly, the invention is not limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described or shown.

What is claimed is:

1. A garment hanger cover, comprising:

a sheet formed into a cover blank having a central portion and angularly-related arms;

the blank provided with generally-longitudinal scoring separating the blank into a front panel and back panels;

means maintaining a longitudinally-fixed relation of the back panels when the blank is folded about said scoring into cover-forming condition;

the blank having cuts in its central portion, separating adjacent ends of the back panels from each other and from the front panel;

the out being such as to extend rearwardly of the general axes of the said scoring, defining a tab which extends, as an integral portion of the front panel, across the said general axes of the scoring;

the scoring being a pair of score lines extending generally longitudinally at least substantially the entire length of each of the angularly related arms, each said pair of score lines having a common point of inception adjacent the end of the out which separates the front panel from the back panel, first diverging abruptly, from said common point of inception, then converging, then diverging;

the end portion of each of the angularly related arms provided with another pair of score lines inwardly of said first pair of said score lines, which converge toward each other inwardly along the end portion to provide a lateral-centering guiding effect of the cover on the associated garment hanger.

2. A garment hanger cover, comprising:

a sheet formed into a cover blank having a central portion and angularly-related arms;

the blank provided with generally-longitudinal scoring separating the blank into a front panel and back panels;

means maintaining a longitudinally-fixed relation of the back panels when the blank is folded about said scoring into cover-forming condition;

the blank having cuts in its central portion, separating adjacent ends of the back panels from each other and from the front panel;

the cut being such as to extend rearwardly of the general axes of the said scoring, defining a tab which extends, as an integral portion of the front panel, across the said general axes of the scoring;

the scoring being a pair of score lines extending generally longitudinally at least substantially the entire length of each of the angularly related arms, each said pair of score lines having a common point of inception adjacent the end of the out which separates the front panel from the back panel, first diverging abruptly from said common point of inception, then converging in an inwardly concave manner, then diverging.

3. A garment hanger cover, comprising:

a sheet formed into a cover blank having a central portion and angularly-related arms;

the blank provided with generally-longitudinal scoring separating the blank into a front panel and back panels;

means maintaining a longitudinally-fixed relation of the back panels when the blank is folded about said scoring into cover-forming condition;

the blank having cuts in its central portion, separating adjacent ends of the back panels from each other and from the front panel;

the cut being such as to extend rearwardly of the general axes of the said scoring, defining a tab which extends, as an integral portion of the front panel, across the said general axes of the scoring;

the scoring being a pair of score lines extending generally longitudinally at least substantially the entire length of each of the angularly related arms, each said pair of score lines having a common point of inception adjacent the end of the out which separates the front panel from the back panel, first diverging abruptly from said common point of inception.

4. A garment hanger cover, comprising:

a sheet formed into a cover blank having a central portion and angularlyrelated arms;

the blank provided with generally-longitudinal scoring separating the blank into a front panel and back panels;

means maintaining a longitudinally-fixed relation of the back panels when the blank is folded about said scoring into cover-forming condition;

the blank having cuts in its central portion, separating adjacent ends of the back panels from each other and from the front panel;

the cut being such as to extend rearwardly of the general axes of the said scoring, defining a tab which extends, as an integral portion of the front panel, across the said general axes of the scoring;

the scoring being a pair of score lines extending generally longitudinally at least substantially the entire length along each of the angularly related arms from the central blank-portion, the lines of each said pair having a common point of inception and first diverging, then converging, then diverging.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,749,238 3/1930 Wordingham 22398 2,873,054 2/1959 Zintel a 223-98 3,033,430 5/1962 Zintel 22398 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. G. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A GARMENT HANGER COVER, COMPRISING: A SHEET FORMED INTO A COVER BLANK HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION AND ANGULARLY-RELATED ARMS; THE BLANK PROVIDED WITH GENERALLY-LONGITUDINAL SCORING SEPARATING THE BLANK INTO A FRONT PANEL AND BACK PANELS; MEANS MAINTAINING A LONGITUDINALLY-FIXED RELATION OF THE BACK PANELS WHEN THE BLANK IS FOLDED ABOUT SAID SCORING INTO COVER-FORMING CONDITION; THE BLANK HAVING CUTS IN ITS CENTRAL PORTION, SEPARATING ADJACENT ENDS OF THE BACK PANELS FROM EACH OTHER AND FROM THE FRONT PANEL; THE CUT BEING SUCH AS TO EXTEND REARWARDLY OF THE GENERAL AXES OF THE SAID SCORING, DEFINING A TAB WHICH EXTENDS, AS AN INTEGRAL PORTION OF THE FRONT PANEL, ACROSS THE SAID GENERAL AXES OF THE SCORING; THE SCORING BEING A PAIR OF SCORE LINES EXTENDING GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLY AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF EACH OF THE ANGULARLY RELATED ARMS, EACH SAID PAIR OF SCORE LINES HAVING A COMMON POINT OF INCEPTION ADJACENT THE END OF THE CUT WHICH SEPARATES THE FRONT PANEL FROM THE BACK PANEL, FIRST DIVERGING ABRUPTLY, FROM SAID COMMON POINT OF INCEPTION, THEN CONVERGING, THEN DIVERGING; THE END PORTION OF EACH OF THE ANGULARLY RELATED ARMS PROVIDED WITH ANOTHER PAIR OF SCORE LINES INWARDLY OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF SAID SCORE LINES, WHICH CONVERGE TOWARD EACH OTHER INWARDLY ALONG THE END PORTION TO PROVIDE A LATERAL-CENTERING GUIDING EFFECT OF THE COVER ON THE ASSOCIATED GARMENT HANGER. 